Nightshift 33 - Main Hallway 1-Center

[broken_exorcist]

[[from here]]

The hall was empty when he arrived, which was something of a relief.  Last night the hall had gotten fairly crowded with people coming and going and even people trying to keep others out of the Sun Room.  He knew there'd been some kind of fight going on in there, so maybe it'd been for the best to involve as few as possible.  For now,

Comments

[scaredy_crow]

[From here and awaiting a River]

It didn't take him long to get to the main hallway in front of the Sun Room. At that point, however, he stopped and glanced around at the various directions he could go.

While he'd planned on going ahead down this hall, it was rather tempting to go searching around one of the rooms off of the sun room. Even more tempting was the front door. It looked as though someone had gone in there already, might still be in there, but he doubted that the front door would be that difficult to get to if they were distracting any monsters in the room. He could rush past, and then see for himself just how trapped they really were...he just wasn't certain if he wanted to take that chance or not.

[theycutitout]

[ from here ]

"You can't run," a small, haunting voice piped up from just a step or two away and behind. "Doors open and you run, you run faster than you've ever run before." River paused, eying him as warily and somewhat fearfully as she had the first day she'd met him. Or one of him. Another persona. Another bit and another piece. "Stuck in the mud. Stuck drawing pictures in the dirt."

She walked closer, still keeping to the straight line of the thin rope, careful not to step over to one side or another. Her long, messy hair was shrouding her eyes until she pushed it aside to really see him, to see what he wasn't entirely and what he was now.

"You fell," River deducted simply. "Your brains aren't your own anymore, and you can't play doctor here. Prick. Splash. And back again. Renewed. It's all-" She winced and took a step back much more quickly then her careful approach. "Can't be measured. Can't be quantified. You're here again, and you're one of the cattle. You forgot how to be, so they made you."

[scaredy_crow]

[Sorry it took me so long!]

Crane had still been considering his options when someone came up to him, surprising him a bit. It was a teenage girl, or so it seemed. She didn't seem to be a monster; if anything, she seemed like a patient who actually belonged here. He watched her carefully as she came closer and then stepped back, listened to what she was saying without really understanding. There were a few things that he could probably try to understand, but he didn't understand most of her disjointed speech or where any of it was even coming from. He'd never met the girl before in his life.

Looked like it was back to the theory that this was a dream. The nights, at least, if nothing else. "Can I...help you?" he asked slowly when it seemed as though she was done. She'd been right in saying that he couldn't play doctor here, but didn't even know why she'd come up to him in the first place.

[theycutitout]

[It's okay~ :D]

River shook her head, reaching up to clutch at it with her hands and bury her face in them as she did so. It wasn't possible. Too many people, and they didn't remember. Deep down inside maybe they weren't even the same being anymore. They'd ceased to exist. Become something new in and of themselves again. He didn't understand. He couldn't.

"It isn't a dream," she replied quickly, before he'd even finished speaking, shakily forcing her hands back down to her sides as she stared back at him. He didn't have any needles here. He didn't have anything. Just a man in a straight jacket. Bound in cloth and stuffed with straw. "It isn't a dream, and you'll never remember."

[contentincloset]

[from here]

Now it was getting later into the early part of the evening. Kurogane could both see and sense more people about in the hallways, none of which were familiar to him. He ignored them - no one was in any danger so far as he could tell - and took the left into the Sun Room. This was the first time since Fai had lead him in that he'd returned, and after seeing that large beast of a man in here the first time, he was ready for anything.

[damned_monsters]

She came from the far end of the corridor, moving with the light, easy grace of a dancer, slippered feet making no sound on the tiled floor. A cloak draped her slight form, whispering softly about her as she moved. One hand reached out, brushing along the wall, a vague and bewildered expression on her face as she looked around her, as if wondering where she was and how she had come to be there.

[Rynn]

[contentincloset]

The hallway had filled and emptied and filled again in varying waves, all by people Kurogane didn't know and didn't care to know, but just as he was halfway through the doors towards his next destination, the movements of one of those unknowns behind him suddenly caught at his attention. A familiar presence, though for some reason not one he was able to place immediately. He knew who it felt like, but that was someone he should have been able to recognize easily.

Turning from the doors, he looked back into the darkness, hardening his eyes to see. "Who's there?" he demanded as his grip tightened over the metal stick at his side.

[damned_monsters]

She stilled at the sound of that harsh, familiar voice, bright green eyes lighting in surprise as she looked towards the source of the sound.

"K-kurogane-san?" she stuttered out, uncertainty in her tone as she hesitated, eyes searching the shadows for him.

[boot_i_licious]

[from here]

Rinali stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall. There were a lot of people here as usual, which made her feel comfortable...but Allen wasn't. She took her time getting here, and Allen, the sweetheart that he was, wasn't the most cautious of people. He should've been here by now.

Still, maybe he got held up or had to do something first, so she decided to just wait for the time being. Allen would be coming along soon. Besides, Rukia should be coming along shortly as well.

[haiiro_no_chou]

[From here.]

Rukia edged around the corner leading toward the hallway outside the sun room. She had been here last night, trying to avoid Sora and Allen, when she had met up with Nakago and Mozenwrath. They had at least provided her with some light, since hers was failing, but she hadn't trusted them at all.

There were enough people in this hallway so that Rukia could at least turn off her flickering flashlight. She didn't see Allen, but perhaps he was farther down the hallway...

She moved along quietly, keeping an eye on those around her. No, no Allen. There was a girl with dark hair, though, standing all by herself. Rukia was pretty sure she had seen Allen with her before, so she must be Rinali. Approaching, Rukia ventured, "Ah, excuse me. Are you Rinali?"

[boot_i_licious]

By the time Rukia had turned up, Rinali was starting to get concerned. It wasn't like Allen to be these late! She almost jumped when the woman spoke with her. "Oh! Yes, I am. Are you Miss Rukia?" Wasn't Rukia one of the shinigami? She couldn't remember for sure, but it did make her a little more cautious. She couldn't understand why Allen liked them, after all she'd seen them do was exceptionally cruel or overly harsh.

[haiiro_no_chou]

"I-- yes, I am," she said, smiling a bit nervously. "But please just call me Rukia." She thought it was awfully strange how Allen and some of the other kids called her "Miss Rukia". It just felt odd, somehow. "It's nice to meet you, Rinali."

Looking around one more time, Rukia asked, "I guess Allen hasn't shown up yet?" She was stating the obvious, but that was part of being polite, after all. His absence worried her, though.

[fuyunohanabi]

[From here]

Rangiku moved cautiously along the corridor, keeping her eyes out for anything nasty which might await them, watching behind them both as Gin kept his eyes ahead. They stopped outside the door to the Sun Room and Rangiku went to push one of the doors open a crack, frowning when she spotted the fight. She turned back to Gin and beckoned him over. "What do you think?"

[traitors_smile]

It was hard to resist walking over to Kuchiki and her friend to pester them, but Gin supposed he'd been assigned a babysitter for a reason. He smiled in their direction though, and gave a subtle wave when Ran's head was turned toward the door. After a moment, he padded over to take a look inside the room.

It didn't take him long to figure out what the creature they were fighting was. Homura had mentioned it and he'd seen a post or two on the message boards. If it truly was the same creature, then its blood carried healing properties. And by the look of those fighting it, they would need it. It was tempting, to try to collect some of that blood for themselves. They were both banged up and it could be immeasurably valuable at a later time, but unless Ran had managed to stow away some empty bottles in her impressive cleavage, neither of them had a way to store the stuff. And without that, the decision was already made.

"We c'n sneak past. There's just one and it's preoccupied," he whispered, then slipped inside.

[[to here]]

[no_side_effects]

[[From a few threads up here]]

Once Wesker was what he believed to be a sufficient distance away he turned to face his newest acquaintance. Hopefully this would be worth taking the time to have this conversation.

[at_patera]

Crawford gave Schuldig and Farfarello one last glance to make sure they weren't going to listen in (although with Schuldig, the problem wasn't in how close he was; still, when he asked, Schuldig typically obeyed) before turning to Wesker with a critical eye. Authoritative, at the very least. And if both Schuldig and Farfarello had met up with him before and approved of him (to some extent

[no_side_effects]

Wesker wasn't often surprised, this, however, was not at close to what he had expected this conversation to consist of.

It was so odd that he didn't immediately know how to react to this, so he didn't, allowing the man to finish speaking.

Surprising, but very, very fortunate. Naturally Wesker was a bit suspicious whenever something so fortunate and convenient came his way, but this was certainly worth some risk.

"Yes... and how would you suggest Schuldig be handled after you're gone?" Neither Farfarello nor Schuldig had seemed particularly stable, but Wesker was accustomed to having high-maintenance people working for him.

[at_patera]

"I'd base it mostly on luck," Crawford said dryly, "and whether or not he decides to even continue going. I've left a note with my roommate that should at least start to dissuade him from breaking down."

He paused again. He'd never imagined that he'd have to instruct someone in how to keep Schuldig sane.

"The presence of mental voices here is extremely painful to him most of the time. While he can hold it at bay, it doesn't always work. He may need further mental support; worst case scenario, you will have to provide a mental alternative for him."

What else was there? Crawford considered how they'd progressed thus far. His own headaches had kept him away from Schuldig for most of the time he'd been here. What was there left for him to know?

"If by chance he feels inadequate or that my disappearance was his fault, reassure him otherwise. Hopefully, it will keep him sane."

... there was nothing more he wanted to tell Wesker. The note covered what was absolute, after all.

"Any questions? Otherwise, we should get going."